Things to let go of...

In the above picture you can see Ganesh... the Deity of obstacles in Hindu religion... Ganesh is believe to be responsible for putting obstacles on your path when you need them but also to take away the obstacles you do not need...  amongst other things....  To get more info on Ganesh you can look it up in Wikipedia... or many yoga books...  I chose this picture today because I felt it went well with my text...  in the sense that sometimes obstacles are not placed by Ganesh in our lives... but by ourselves... and we need to let go of certain way of doing or seeing things to move forward...

Earlier this week I read a post by Marc&Angel Hack Life that you can read here. It was about 50 things you need to let go of before your next birthday...  Now my birthday is in November so technically I would have time to address all 50 items...  but quite frankly some do not apply... and some I am just not ready to attempt resolving...  but I chose 10, that I am committing today to work on... and I will get back to you by my birthday about how it went... and probably a few times in between now and then...

1. Let go of what isn't helping my soul to smile and grow.  Basically anything that makes me sad is out...  if I am not smiling, I am not growing... if I am not growing I am dying...

2. Let go of the baggage I know I need to leave behind.  Yes it can be stuff... but I am not too bad at letting stuff behind...  I should be pretty much OK with that by June... But it can also be memories...  souvenirs...  good ones and bad ones...  I am not saying forget about them completely... but maybe not think about them so often.... I have one or two souvenirs, rather painful, that I keep going over and over about... It's time I stop that!

3. Let go of worrying about everyone else's opinion on my life. Quite frankly, why do I care so much about what other's think?  Why do I need their approval so much?  Especially when I know I won't have it....  It's my life... I am old enough to make my own choices... and as long as my  son and husband are on board, everything is fine!

4. Let go of thinking there is a perfect time. There never was a perfect time.  There never will be.  Time is as perfect now as it will ever get!  Stop using that excuse to stay still and not move forward...

5. Let go of the need to always feel comfortable. Ah.... comfort... so comfortable...  but the number one excuse I make not to try something new... I do not know many people who like to be out of their comfort zone... but the few ones I do know are people I really admire... they are living their dreams... they are going after what they want...  what they were meant to be...  and this is what I want for myself!!! Comfort really is just another sorry excuse to not move forward!

6. Let go of wanting stuff I don't need.  This goes for material stuff... like clothes for example....  but it also goes for other stuff... like a raise, a promotion... a better place to live...  a bigger vacation...  why do we (and this time I say "we" because most of us are affected by this) always want more...  it is believed that the richer people are not those who have more but those who want less...  I am going to work hard on this...  most days I am good...  but as soon as I get out of my comfort zone, my mind tricks me into thinking that I want something and I'd better get back to what I know to get it faster... Faster is most often not better! And really, when you're honest with yourself, what do we REALLY need in life???

7. Let go of trying to change others.  Now this may sound weird coming from me... because after all, I really do hope that all I write about help people change... or should I say become better versions of themselves...  but how #7 particularly affects me is by the fact I write because  like it... because I need it.... and because I feel like I can help others.... I should not be attached to the results... I should not be attached to the number  of person I am changing....  I should just concentrate on what I like to do, that is write and share, and do it better and better...
 
8. Let go of one sided relationship.  You should never have to beg for attention... if I constantly have to be the one calling or reaching out...  this is not a relationship...  and it is just draining all my energy...  it has to be ended...

9. Let go of the things people say about me.  It really doesn't matter what people say...  if they're saying nice things...  good...it's positive energy coming my way!  But if they're saying not so nice things, it's belongs to them... it's creating negative energy around them... this is the thing with thoughts and words...  negative ones affect the person emitting it...  whereas positive ones affects everyone... why should I care? Why should I let negative people affect me?  I have not right to do that to myself...

10. Let go of the idea that it's to late to start over.  As human beings, we like to create boundaries around us...  I am no different... and another great excuse to not try something new is age...  How often have I heard that such and such are too old to do that... to old to go there... to old to think this way...  REALLY?  who decides who is to old and at what age?  why do we have to be so set into age...  age is a number...  it's not a feeling... only I know if I am to old for something or not...  If I feel like doing it, trying it... why not??? As long as you're alive, you're not too old... Compare to the bigger scheme of things, we are here for a really short time... why not make the most out of it???

Now choosing those 10 items was really easy... because I know my strength and weaknesses... but working on them won't be as easy...  but I am really dedicated to do it!   And I will...

Does any of those 10 items or of the 40 others in the original post by Marc&Angel appeal to you?

love&peace,
nath
xox
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How to be savvy and save money

I have a big project coming up... and I need to save some $ even thus I am currently unemployed and money is scarce...  Now, there's always room to save a few extra dollars... here are my tricks:

1) Call my internet/tv provider and negotiate a discount - most of them will do it if you're a long time client
2) decrease my food budget - this include coffees, restaurant and outing... as a result, there will be no more fancy coffee at Starbucks unless I have a star and earned a free drink...  Starbucks will also no longer be every day but rather every other day.... we'll go out on week end but cannot spend more than roughly 20$...  I can figure this out easily....  we share meal and desert in our usual vegan place... they really don't mind! Most vegans do it! Also no longer throw out food - this might mean that all 3 of us will have a different meal to finish small portions of left over but who cares???  Eat more veggies and less fruits.  Very rarely buy package stuff... always too expensive and not even good for us anyway! If you're not already vegan, cut meat once or twice a week... see what difference it makes on your grocery bill! Buy in bulk all you can...  it is much cheaper!!!
3) Movies are out!  too expensive for no reason! We'll rent from home!
4) Not buying clothes, books or jewelry for the time being
5) Very seldomly rent a car with Communauto- do we absolutely need it???
6) Put whatever is in the "change jar" by the door in another container every 3 days and cash it in at the end of the month (put in savings)...  if that money is by the door we use it, if it's not we don't! Because we pay everything cash and do not like to carry change on us, it grows quickly in that jar...
7) work out a budget where we're putting x$/week away my husband and I... and not allowed to touch it!
8) selling some stuff that we do not want/use/find beautiful anymore and saving that money too
9) any extra money that comes in, whether from me finding a job, my husband working over time, income tax returns.. or what ever...  goes in savings!

Now this may seem really restrictive...but we still have budgeted for 60$ each of pocket money per month...  to put on anything we like...  and I thought it would be really hard at first to follow that plan because I was always very careless with money and even thus I had good paying job, ended up with nothing saved...  but that is all about to change... because since I became a minimalist, I have changed the way I see spending my money... I do not get pleasure only from buying stuff... I'd rather work my ass off and save it all for one big project than spend it on useless junk...

I know this is not forever... this project (which you'll find out about later when time has come), is on a set date... and we wont need to be THAT restrictive for ever... but it feels good to work as a team with my son and husband on something we all want to do!!!

It also makes it easier if we're all align on what is important to us...  and if we know it's not forever!!

Now this is the part about how to save $... but the title also called for being savvy...  how can I do that now on such a small budget??? Well being savvy has nothing to do really with the amount spent.... you can feel like a million dollar and be poor.. it's all in your head...  you have to learn to enjoy the small pleasure...

1) eating dinner (even if it's left over) with a candle and music on a fancy table cloth
2) rent a movie, make popcorn, blast the sound and close the lights... feels like the movie!
3) reuse your old clothes in a new way - feels like  you went shopping
4) enjoy tea in a fancy mug at home with music...
5) use you fancy dinner ware if you have any...
6) spend that 60$ wisely for what I really care about... and that is on sale...  and will make me feel good! New sheets, Romantic dinner, family activity....

These are all ways that can help save money.. without feeling like you are depriving yourself...
And allow you to work towards your goal... You just have to learn enjoying being home... 

What about you?  Do you have any goals you're working for? Does this help financially achieving them?  Do you have other tips you'd like to share?

p.s. we are 3 days away from the end of January and I still have 50$ of my 60$ for the month...  Amazing no??? I will keep it and who knows? Maybe some other month I'll need it...

love&peace,
nath
xox
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Kids and our legacy to them...

I have one son... he's 13 years old... We are very close... 

When my son was born, we almost did not make it... either one of us...  they first saved him...  and then me... a few days after...  I do not want to go into details about that but I just want to say that it changed all my life...  and because I could not see anything the same anymore, even the decisions I made about being a mom when I found out I was pregnant were out the window...  I reinvented the way I wanted/perceived being a mom... because I almost did not get a chance to be one!   Of course it did not happen overnight... it took time... and it happened unconsciously... only recently have I realise it when I was meditating...

I thought a mom had to be strong... conservative.... create stability...  secure financial life... provide a place to stay and food to eat... provide the best education in the best schools...  have your kid do sports... have your kid read so many book... have your kid play music... never have I thought about figuring out what my kid might wanted or liked as being important when I was pregnant...  I needed to insure he had a secure financial future....  with a GOOD (read high paying) job...

Now about 18 months after his birth it started to change...  I started thinking more in terms of HIM then in terms of "what is expected from me has a mom"... I decided to be the best mom I could be... And this is where all the previous paragraph was re-written in my head...

I wanted to be a loving, caring mother... that listens to her son... that creates an environment where her son is appreciated for who he is...  an environment where he can learn, play, be creative... an environment focusing on his desire... his likes/passions... and his strengths...  an environment where he feels FREE to be himself and not have to conform to an image that we project of him...

I am still trying to do this today...  I do not focus on money... on school results... yes I want him to be active but he can choose what he likes... he does not have to do a specific sport and for that reason he tried several things before he found what he liked...  yes I want him to do something else than play video games and watch TV but he can choose what else...  if reading his not his thing well he can do other stuff...

I want him to be an adult that will:

1) be happy about his life
2) love his job - even if he's struggling financially at first
3) know the value of life.... not the price of stuff
4) be able to make his own decision and assume them
5) know when it's time to stay or time to go
6) be considerate of other and kind to everyone
7) respect life
8) take good care of himself - physically, mentally and spiritually
9) live his dreams even if they are not mine!
10) set his priorities and realise that they may change... at any time

and last, but not least: BELIEVE ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

THIS is what I want him get from the education I provide him... I truly believe that if he can retain that, even only a few of those items... he will be happy... Truly happy all his life!!!

love&peace,
nath
xox
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Being a minimalist forces creativity!

Being a minimalist, having decided not to buy anything non-essential in 2014 AND loving clothes forces me to be creative....  I have clothes I love... in general...  but a few pieces can be improved... or turned into something that represents me more...

Last week end, I decided to go into my spring wardrobe and check what may need a few changes...  I came across those 2 t-shirts, that even thus, perfect in color are to ordinary for me to really like them!!!  I love to wear them with my harem pants and quite frankly, harem pants deserve more than just an ordinary t-shirt!

Here's the before picture: (yes, only one in the before picture because I had already started working on the other one when I thought of taking the picture...

Very simple....  now what did I do with it? I cut off the sleeves... inside where they were sowned... so that over time, it will roll up a little... this is the advantage to cotton...  no need to hem when you cut!

I have also cut open the neck line and the bottom hemming... so that too will roll over time...

Here's what I mean by "cut open"

Then I have washed and let dry both pieces...  and here's what they now look like...

With a close up view of the details of what was worked on...

Now this took me all in all, aside from the washing and drying in which I have very little to do...  a huge 20 minutes... and 0$...  and I have 2 "new" tops to wear when spring comes... 

If you surf the net, you can find many more numerous use you can do with a t-shirt that you no longer like as is... but I like to use my imagination...  it's easier... cheaper... and actually resonate more with who you are then when someone tells you what to do...  like I just did... lol...  but you don't HAVE to do what I did... you can try something else... you can take off pieces or add some one...  dye...  paint...  color...  write... just let your imagination speaks...

and it will be good for you...  and for your wallet.... and you'll have a unique piece of item...

love&peace,
nath
xox
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Minimalist - cheap week end home

As we are Friday night, most of us are making plans for the week end...  Usually, I know I used to anyway, we try to fit in as much as we can during those 2 days!!! Like if they were all we had!!! After all we're just back from the Holidays...  we had many occasion to spend, eat, celebrate...  why not enjoy some peace of quiet? save money? find peace? enjoy your home?

We all have a roof over our head...  it's a house, an apartment, a condo or a loft... whatever you call it...  it's a roof with walls and windows... but do we all have a home? a place where you are comfortable... a place where you can be yourself...  simply...  well we should all have that...  I know I just recently found it...  and it's the most amazing thing.... and you know what?  it's most likely where you already live...  you just ignore it because you are so busy doing so many thing, you don't have time to enjoy it!

Therefore this week end, you will spend time home...  Doing simple things...

1) reading a book
2)watching your favorite movie
3)dancing
4)singing
5)listen to loud music
6)play some music
7)paint
8)do some crafts
9)cook something you usually do not have time to cook
10)play with your kids or your spouse
11)take a long bath
12)meditate
13)go for a walk in your neighbourhood
14)just do nothing...  yes nothing....  stare at the window...

Turn off the computer, the news... do not read the newspaper...  do not answer the phone...  UNPLUG!!!  Pretend like you were gone far far away.... and no one could reach you...

You know what? When you get back to your life on Sunday night... or Monday... or whenever you decide to...  nothing will have change...  everyone will still be there... but you'll feel better... more relaxed...  and ready for another week...  

Just try it... give it a chance... and if it really is not for you this time around, you can always end it anytime and go back to your usual week end... but don't say it's not for you if you didn't even try it...

love&peace,
nath
xox
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See, who needs an expensive vacation?  All you do on a vacation you can do at home... unless the only thing you like is to sun tan by the beach and you live up north... 

Pantry staples for wannabe, part time or full time vegans

It is no secret by now that I highly recommend a vegan diet (vegetarian as a minimum!)!  It has many health benefits... and it has helped me deal with MS wonderfully as you can read here.

Now in the conferences I offer and in the interactions I have on line with you one-on-one the things that comes up the most are "but it seems very complicated" "I am afraid I'll be deficient in protein" and "I do not know what to cook". 

"but it seems very complicated" and "I am afraid I'll be deficient in protein" will be partly addressed here...  and eventually in more post also...

"I do not know what to cook" should be addressed easily when my next e-book comes out!  it will include 10 delicious, simple and accessible vegan recipes...  healthy and diversified in nutriments... all non-vegan and kids approves!

Now if you want to be able to make the transition to veganism... either part-time or full time, here are 10 staples you should have in your pantry at all times!  They will ensure you always have all the ingredients to come up with something to cook that will be delicious and nutritious!

1) Tofu and legumes : here are your proteins!  You can get more then enough on a vegan diet without having to try so hard!   You just have to add tofu and/or legumes to your meals!  I always go with dried beans as they are more nutritious... and so easy to handle!  Much more so than we are told...  You do not need to soak them!  And you can batch cook and freeze... and just add whatever quantity to your meals or recipes as you would with canned ones!  I always have cooked chick peas, red beans, white beans and black beans in my freezer! As for tofu it can be marinated in anything you like!

2)Whole grains - they are loaded with fibers, vitamins and minerals!  Fibers help in the digestion and absorption of proteins in 1)!!  A few example of whole grains I always have around are brown rice, wild rice, oats, barley and quinoa.  There again... you can take one item in 1) and one item and 2) and that is  pretty good start!  Only need to add some vegetables and herbs/spices!  Et Voila!

3)Non-dairy milk - You can have soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, rice milk, hemp milk...  my favorites are almond and hemp... natural for cooking...  and vanilla flavored for smoothies, cereals and hot coco! Make sure you buy enriched non-dairy milks for maximum nutrition!  P.S. Almond chocolate milk is also great in coffee (as per my husband) and in smoothies!!!  And it hides kale or spinach well for your kids!

4)Oils and vinegars - I always have olive oil and grape seed oil (less flavourful) as well as apple cider vinegar, balsamic and white wine vinegars.  With these you can cook, bake and even make up your own dressing for a fraction of  the price of store bought dressing!

5)Nuts seeds and their butter - So many to choose from...  but remember they all have different nutritional values so it's good to switch them up sometimes... they are loaded with proteins, vitamins and minerals as well as fibers!!!  They're magical! In my pantry you can find: peanuts, walnuts, pecans, cashews and almonds as well as sunflower seeds, pumpernickel seeds, chia seeds, hemps seeds, flax seeds and sesame seeds.  As for butter, we have peanut butter, almond butter and tahini.

6)Nutritional yeast - a MUST!  It's a flaky yellow stuff... it stinks... like parmesan cheese... and has the same use...  but it is B12 and we need it!  You can top popcorn, pasta, use in pesto, sprinkle over salads...

7)Healthy condiments - soy sauce, bragg's amino, miso, hot sauces can add flavor in just a few drops!  As for sweet, go with agave nectar or maple syrup as sweeteners!

8)Herbs and spices - I prefer dried... easier...  but you can also have fresh...  here too there's plenty to choose from but I like to keep in stock basil, parsley, oregano,  bay leaves, chili powder and chili flakes, black pepper, coriander, turmeric, curry, paprika, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and ginger.

9)Frozen fruits and veggies - to add to smoothies, soups, stews.. when fresh produce is rare or too expensive this is your next best choice!  I sometimes froze them myself when they are cheaper to have for other weeks...  I do that with kale, spinach, melons, pineapple, berries and pomegranate to be added to smoothies and old bananas to be used in muffins and banana breads!
The only canned item I have are tomatoes... I also always have them in stock....

10) Fresh fruits and veggies!  No need to explain here I think!  Only I want to emphasize that the bulk of your fruits and veggies should be local when you can...  and in season preferably...  and ensure you eat all kinds!  Because they do have different vitamins and minerals!  Eat the color of the rainbow everyday and you'll be fine!

So there you go... with that you're now equipped to give veganism a try!  Once a week ...  or for a whole week... or more....  just try and see!  And if you have question let me know I will address them here... 

Within a few days you will feel great!  You'll sleep better!  Have more energy!  Think clearer!
Within a few weeks, the pounds will start to come off... as a side effect...  without even counting calories or depriving yourself!  Just by eating better!!!  Buy having more energy you'll move more...

love&peace,
nath
xox
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Minimalism with clothes: what to toss, donate and keep

Hello friends!

you've seen this picture before...  I posted it in late December when I decided my clothes for the next 3 months starting January 1st...  You know I have been following project 333 for a while now... althus I did come up with my own rules...  it still helped me rationalized my wardrobe, taught me to dress with less and  showed me to my very own style! Now I must admit that my list of items has changed since I last published it...  here's my original list and it's amendment... since I am no longer shopping and   there are no occasion for me to receive gifts, it will no longer change...

My list of items are:

Black velvet leggings
Royal blue velvet leggings (new item)
Grey leggings
Purple corduroy pants
Off-white velvet pants
Jeans
Red velvet skirt
Black velvet skirt (new item)
Beige and navy skirt
Black dress
Dress
Purple plaid shirt
Pink plaid shirt
Jean shirt
Flannel shirt ( new item - handed down by my son who it no longer fits)
Black fancy top
Black long sleeve t-shirt
Grey 3/4 sleeve t-shirt
Navy long sleeve t-shirt
Beige sparkly long sleeve t-shirt
Beige long sleeve t-shirt
White short sleeve t-shirt
Grey short sleeve t-shirt
Jean jacket - removed - will not wear in winter!
4 vests... yes I LOVE vest and wear them all the time!!!
2 cotton knit sweater to go with everything! (new items)
this brings the total to 29 items!  it follows my rules! 

Now if you ask me... to this day, I think it is WAY to many items!!!  But I am keeping them all! because I love them ALL!  Because they fit me very well....  because they represent me so well...   they mix and match easily!!! 

I do realise that I could get away with MUCH MUCH LESS...   as you can see in that post, roughly 15 items would have allowed me to dress almost a month without repeating any outfits!  isn't that crazy???

Now if you've been following me for a while, you must remember that I use to have so many clothes!!!  It was just nonsense!!! I was addicted to shopping...  I had no sense of style...  many orphan items...  clothes bought months ago with price tags still on them...  clothes wore once out of guilt...  and so on...  I am not proud of admitting that...  however I am proud of how far I have come!!!

I get often ask HOW I did it...  How I have diminish the number of items?  How I would do if I had to decrease that number further more...  now that all I have I love and fits me well...
Well here are a few tips....  some are obvious...  but nice to be reminded off and some are just my own deductions... Here's how you can select what goes in what pile: Donate and Toss

1) Price tag still on after a week - Donate or return if you can
2) Still in the shopping bag a few days after - Donate or return if you can
3) Too big - Donate (truth is you do not want to fit in that ever again!)
4) Too small - Donate ( if you do loose the weight, you deserve new clothes!)
5) Does not fit you current lifestyle - Donate
6) Orphan item - Donate (you do not want to risk going shopping for one more item!)
7) Keeping because it was a gift as the only reason - Donate
8) Not quite sure you love it anymore - Donate
9) Torn, faded, missing button, stained - Toss (face it you will not fix it!  Ever!)

For the above exercise, I do recommend getting a good honest friend to assist you as they will tell you as it is! even if an item really does not suit you!

Now that you donated and tossed some of it.... take a very good look at what is left... and now is the time to make a difficult decision...  how much do you want to keep?  It is a magical number? Is it just enough to fit in a particular closet? To be able to dress for a month with no repeats? I personally started with "needs to fin in my side of the closet"....  went down to about 50... then 42...  35...  33... and now less than 30...  but YOU need to figure out what works for you!  So think about this...  and then when you are ready, here's the next step... and you might need a friend for this one too... because this is the hardest part I find!  Most likely, in all that is left, you love, wear everything...  some items more than other but still... it will be more difficult to let go...  but you need to make it to your magic space or number!

Here are some suggestions...

1) Go by color coordination!  Keeps items that mix and match with one another... it adds flexibility!
2) Go by lifestyle. If you do something once a year, maybe you can borrow/rent an item for that occasion
3) Go with material - I love velvet - my choice for the colder months!
4) Keep a few neutral bottoms, it allows you for more tops
5) Keep neutral tops (white, beige, grey , black)m - allows you to add color to the bottoms
5) Keep what ever reflects the image you want to put out that reflects what's inside! (when you dress according to your true nature, you are more self confident and attractive period.)
6) Pretend you are moving far  far away and everything for the season you are looking into needs to fit into one suitcase - what would you bring?
7) Select your (magical number here) favorite items

Of course you do this by season...  of course it's your own rules... so basically anything goes....  but if you want to dress with less you have to start somewhere...  even if it's just the donate and toss...it's a good start!  And no you can't celebrate by going shopping!!!  And as  tip, spread out what is left so your space does not look empty... it will be easier to resist the urge to fill out empty spaces!

My last tip would be, if you are unsure of one or a few items, just box them up....  tape the box shut... put it away for 30 days....  and in 30 days, if  you did not go back in the box, DO NOT re-open, and just bring to a donation bin...  let's face it, if you did not even think about something for 30 days, how much do you really like/need that item???

Ok so now it's your turn... you do the exercise... and let me know how it goes or if you need help! This is why I am here for....  if you feel to urge for a more private discussion just let me know... we'll figure it out!

love&peace,
nath
xox
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Saving money while eating well and planning meals

                                                    homemade chocolate quinoa granola


Earlier this week I was talking about the fact that loosing weight, exercising and saving money actually do go hand in hand....  If you haven't yet, you can read it here.   I told you that I would let you know more about eating well and saving money while doing so!  I actually feed my family of 3 on a budget of 180$ per week (I am from Montreal Canada as your location actually has an impact on your food bill)... and none of us is starving...  but it did required some learning and planning before I got to that point!  Althus Dr.Oz says you can eat for 40$ per week per person I have not yet manage to do this...  but if you are curious, you can read about it here... of course, I will tell you to  put the 18$ of meat and fish and the 8$ of dairy in the 2 other sections...  but even then, I can't do it... maybe sometimes in summer when fruits and veggies are really cheap! 

What I needed to learn is:

1) Cooking with less expensive ingredients and use herbs and spices to add flavor instead of sauces store bought

2) Cooking with quality ingredients to avoid the need for quantity - the more nutritionally dense food you eat, the less you need quantities...  I know very active people who live off very little food and are VERY healthy and not just skin and bones... they are muscular with low body fat!

3) Cooking in batch and thus save time and have left over for freezing for future weeks - therefore on some weeks your groceries will only be fresh products... you can save on those weeks!

4) Cooking simple meals with a whole grain, a protein and in season vegetables - makes up a wonderful stew! For example, rice of barley... with tofu or legumes...  3-4 roots vegetables, a can of tomato sauce and your favorite herbs and spice and you're good to go!

5) Use variety of meals within the month... not necessarily within the same week or day! It doesn't matter if you eat the stew you made in 4) three times on the same week...  it is already containing diversified nutrients from the ingredients... and you have lunches and breakfast...

6) Use variety of ingredients in each meal therefore creates a variety daily!

7) Learn what variety means: we need several nutriments...  if you include whole grains, legumes and 3-4 vegetables in each meal you're all set!  Just change vegetables on a regular basis! I use to think I would have to eat 20 different food items every day! As long as you switch on a weekly basis your body will be fine!   Just made sure you eat whole grains, legumes and all the color of the rainbow!

8) Prepare my own dry fruits & nuts mix from bulk items - takes roughly 10 minutes... and save $ each weeks as we eat that stuff all the time!

9) Prepare my own granolas - ditto as 8)

10) Prepare my own snacks such as roasted chick peas, roasted pumpernickel seeds, salted sunflower seeds, homemade cookies with no refined sugar and chemicals....

11) Buy cereals, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and dry fruits in bulk as much as possible!

12) Use dry legumes instead of canned ones - cheaper and more nutritious! The nutrients are leached into the water for the canned items.  using dry legumes, you cook them on a rotation, one variety per week for example, in big batch and you freeze them for future use in soup and stews... They cook by themselves while you do something else... and they DO NOT need soaking!!!  That's a myth!

13) Stock your pantry with non-perishable items when they are on sale!

14) Do the pantry challenge 2-3 times a year

15) Plan! Plan! Plan! know what your menus will be... and plan according to season. and time of week.. depending on when you do your groceries and what is on sale when... It takes a while to get use to but once done, you save a lot of $!

Now it took me years to get this all in place....  of course I come from far... I use to not cook or bake anything...  except for a few very simple meals...  Now I cook and bake 98% of anything we eat from scratch!!!  It makes a whole lot of difference on the budget and on our health...  but also on my free time... therefore I needed to get organize....  if you plan ahead of time, do you grocery shopping and then set 3-4 hours per week for cooking and baking non-stop, it's amazing how much you can accomplish in those 4 hours!   Then the rest of the week is smooth sailing...  maybe I need 30 min per day to put the lunches together and come up with supper! It's easy once the base is done!

The trick really is to follow the tips above... and you will save money on groceries!  And you'll be able to buy better quality product... and therefore you need to eat less in quantity to get all your nutritional needs...  It's a win-win situation yet again... for you health...  and your wallet!

All this saved money, because you use to not have it anyway can go towards paying deb or savings and you won't even realise it!!!  it does add up pretty quickly!

love&peace,
nath
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Minimalism - financial aspect of it

Hello and Happy New Year!!!

We're a week into 2014 and I bet you bills are starting to come in...  you're trying to finish the left overs... decided to lose weight... exercise more...  pay off your debt... like most of us do at one point or another in adulthood... and sometimes every January...

As the bills are starting to come in it may have an effect on your resolutions to loose weight, exercise more, pay off your debt...  If you're anything close to what I was at one point, bills coming in are really annoying and stressful!  Now, listen to me...  trying to relax by going out to eat...  shopping...  or buying expensive tickets to a show you're not gona help yourself!!!  I am not saying that you cannot do anything until bills are paid... I am saying that you need to decide your priorities!

Therefore, you need to come up with a budget!  Take each one of your living, mandatory expenses.  That includes:

Shelter
Food
Utilities
Insurance
Medical fees if any

Anything else is NOT mandatory and needs to be looked at carefully... And to be honest, shelter, food and utilities can also sometimes be excessive!!!
You need to make a list of what is a priority...  to YOU!

After you know what is your minimal cost of living, look at your income...  and see what is left...  a percentage of that should go towards paying off debt and another percentage to savings... YES you need to save EVEN when you have debt!!!  Now if you're lucky enough to have savings/pension at work well good for you... one less thing to take care off...

Once you figured out what is really left after cost of living and paying off debt and savings, this is what you can use for whatever you want to do!!!

This is how minimalist do it...  We budget...  Figure out what is left and then decide what we really care about! It can be activities, vacations, outings, parties... whatever...  you just can't get/care about everything...  and between you and me, you do not really want everything!  You want to do/have stuff  because everyone else is doing/having it...  not because you truly deeply have a desire for it all the time!!!

And you know what? Your resolution to lose weight and exercise more can actually come in handy to your financial situation...  By eating better and less, you'll save money on groceries (my next post will be on that on Friday)...  By finding ways to exercise cheaply ( walking, hiking, swimming, running, yoga) you can boost your morale, have more energy and stay out of movie theater, malls and other places where you spend money... Having more energy you'll cook more... hence save money on food and eat better and contribute further more to weight loss...

See it's not that complicated!!!  You exercise more, therefore you feel better... you loose weight...  have more energy...  cook more...  therefore save money and loose more weight... which also boost your morale... makes you want to do more exercise... all this keeps you away from money spending places!!!  Therefore you pay off debt faster and save more for a project that is more meaningful to you than buying the most recent dress from a designer or the latest game for your console... or seeing the latest movie that just came out!

It's a win-win!
It's not that difficult...  but it needs discipline...  it helps if you have people in your surrounding going thru the same...  so comment here after this post...  and we can stay in touch with each other and support one another!  I really want to help you out!  So let me know what you need.... what could I blog about to help you achieve your resolutions???

You are not alone!!!


love&peace,
nath
xox
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